Truckee's Climate

Truckee, California is located at an elevation of 5,800 feet in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. It is in northeastern California, located thirty miles west of Reno, Nevada. California's capital city, Sacramento, is one hundred miles to the west on Interstate–80. With its high elevation setting, this city of 15,000 residents has a four–season climate.

Truckee's climate is very different than Reno and Sacramento. Reno is 1,400 feet lower in elevation that Truckee with dry, desert like terrain. Temperatures in Reno are typically about ten degrees warmer than in Truckee, and it only receives about eight inches of annual precipitation, only 1/4 of what Truckee receives. Sacramento has a lowland Mediterranean type of climate. It is much warmer and drier than Truckee, typically about fifteen degrees warmer, receiving about 20" of precipitation per year with very rare snowfall.

A Winter Wonderland

Truckee is one of the snowiest cities in the United States. It receives an average of nearly two–hundred inches of annual snowfall. Winter storms arrive from the Pacific collecting in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The result is copious amounts of snow. Winter daytime high temperatures average near 40 degrees with low temperatures near 15 degrees. Truckee's average low temperature is below 32 degrees for seven months of the year.

Great Summers

Summers are generally very pleasant in Truckee, with average high temperatures near 80 degrees. Visitors and nearby residents flock to Truckee for recreation. Hiking, boating, mountain biking, and rafting are all very popular in the summer in the Truckee area. Donner Lake, an alpine lake on the west side of city is particularly popular in the summertime. Overnight temperatures remain cool in the summer averaging near 40 degrees.

Fall and Winter

Fall is marked by cool, crisp days in Truckee. It is a pretty area for fall colors. Average high temperatures fall from 75 in September down to 40 degrees in December. October is a good time to visit Truckee. Visitors can take in the fall colors and explore the area with less crowds than in the summertime. However, there is the potential for snowfall in October.

Truckee receives an average annual total of 31 inches of precipitation, the majority of which comes in the form of snow. The area is forested with species of trees that include Ponderosa Pine, Lodgepole Pine, and California Red Fir.